In Between Time
by xxCandyApples
Summary: If one day, when Valhalla would magically disappear and Lightning would wake, he would be right by her side. But for now, time would play a game with him. Where it would never change, and Lightning would never wake from her slumber. And he was somewhere stuck in the middle. Mostly Hope centric, with heavily implied Hope/Lightning.


_-Valhalla ? ? ? AF-_

"Hi Light," the words left his mouth without him even realizing it. Though, he didn't have to worry too much, as the woman he was speaking to was a crystal; unknown to when she would awake again. He found her in this crystal status a while ago, but in real time, he wasn't quite sure. In Valhalla, time was frozen, it would not continue, nor would it descend.

And now here he was, stuck in time with no where else to go.

However, he didn't mind it too much. He prayed, to _Etro_, that one day (if there even was days anymore, he wasn't certain) Lightning would be revived of her crystal statue and he'd be able to speak with her again. So far, however, luck wasn't on his side.

Though, he was pretty damn lucky he made it this far.

The majority of people had died when the world gruesomely turned to Valhalla; unable to fight off the darkness that crept upon the land that once was Academia. Hope- himself, and a few others were the lone survivors of the change (Noel was one of them, and unfortunately, Serah died when she saw her one last vision) and were now striving off their skills to survive. It wasn't a safe place to live.

Hope wasn't so sure why he was still living.

There wasn't much left to live for. His mother died a _long _time ago, before the purge when Team Nora had rescued himself and a majority of others. He had blamed Snow Villiers, Serah's fiancée, for his mother's death. But after long days of realization, he learned to accept the fact that it wasn't him, but yet the Sanctum. It turns out Snow was a pretty cool guy, and he grew fond of him during their time as l'Cie's on Pulse.

He finally met up with his father again a couple weeks after the fall of Cocoon. He was rather fortunate, (and a bit unfortunate, because he'd never be able to see them again) that Vanille and Fang sacrificed themselves to save Cocoon and Pulse, turning into their crystal forms. He still missed them dearly, and was determined to retrieve their crystals from Cocoon's base when the time was right. He was successful, but they were lost by the crew, when everything was changed to Valhalla.

He wasn't able to spend much time with his father. About four years after the fall of Cocoon, he had caught a terrible sickness from living on Pulse. He was put on bed rest and died a few months afterwards. Hope wasn't as devastated from that as he was from his mother's death, he was never close to his father anyways.

And as for Lightning... well, after Cocoon fell, she disappeared. At first Hope had believed what Snow said; that she sacrificed herself with Vanille and Fang, holding up Cocoon. She became everything to Hope during his time being a l'Cie. She was the one who trained him to become stronger, who supported him through the roughest times.

And well damn, he wasn't afraid to admit it. She was _hot_.

And so, when he met Serah in Yaschas Massif 1X AF (He wouldn't remember his encounter with her in Yaschas Massif 10 AF), at his first glance he swore it was Lightning. Though, he was disappointed to learn that the younger Farron grew to look nearly the same as the elder one. Her facial structure was more round, compared to Lightning's heart-shaped face. _(He wasn't going to admit that he stared at their faces to figure out the difference.) _

Serah had wonderful news however. When she told him that Lightning was still alive, in a place called Valhalla, his heart nearly stopped. He thought for sure that the war-bound solider was in the base of Cocoon with Vanille and Fang. This set off something in Hope, a driving force to create a plan that would create a new Cocoon- a new and better future.

But now, here he was, facing a crystalized Lightning. He thought Serah said that Lightning was alive, and that she was waiting for her in Valhalla. So why was the woman that he developed a crush (it was something way more than that, but he wouldn't admit it) on, was eternally stuck as a crystal? The way Hope saw it, she would never see the living world again, and he would never be able to see the beautiful woman smile again.

"I know I told you this before, but.." swallowing hardly, he glanced up at her. "I really miss you, Lightning. Things aren't the same anymore, how could they not be? I'm stuck living in a world that has no future... a world, erm.." He bit down on his lip, what did he have to lose? He _was_ talking to a crystal, after all.

But what if the guardian of Valhalla could hear him? Would she sneer at him mentally like she used to? When she didn't want his helpless self around? Or would the ex-solider give him that sincere smile that he got to know so well. The smile was mostly ever given to him (or when she thought of Serah a few times).

"I'm stuck living in a world without you, Light." His cheeks flushed at his own words, lowering his head to stare down at his feet. "And I have been, for roughly 500 years. Do you know how hard that is?"

He knew she wouldn't answer, and it hurt. He wanted to hear her voice one last time, to know that she was still there for him. But she wouldn't, and probably never would. All he was left with was the crystal form of the woman he once traveled with.

"It's so hard, Lightning. So, so hard." Lifting his head, he gazed upon Etro's throne, where Lightning sat eternally. Light blue, almost the color of aqua, steps lead up to where she sat in her strange position; head tilted, mouth opened ajar, one leg crossed over another and sword on her lap. "Why can't you just come back?"

Tears threatened to fall down the young man's face as he stared the ex-solider down. He wasn't sure if he would ever be able to accept this- that Lightning would never be his, that he would never be able to hold her in his arms. He'd always wanted to be the one that held her, that told her that it was alright and they were going to save Serah, but he always stopped himself from doing so, afraid that she'd slap him for such contact.

"Your duty here is done right? So why can't you wake up?" Hope wasn't quite sure why he was running up the steps that led to her. It just hurt his heart more, each step closer brought out more details to her. Reminding him of the woman he knew once knew. "Why can't you come back to me, Light? You didn't deserve this fate that Etro brought upon you..!"

Dropping down to his knees, Academia's director gazed at Lightning. His jaw quivered for the slightest second, and warm water slowly started to descend down his face. There wasn't much to do now, and it wouldn't be long until the darkness of Valhalla consumed his life, but talking to Lightning's crystalized form kept him going.

Leaning forward, the man pressed his forearms against the woman's legs, burying his head. Muffled sobs was the only thing heard in the distance, and perhaps, the whole place overall. Valhalla was, after all, a quiet place when there was no misfit happening. "I created a new Cocoon for you, Light. I wanted to show you what I was capable of.. I was hoping that you'd join me, up on Bhunivelze.."

He had worked so hard creating Bhunivelze, putting endless hours of work to make the structure lift in the air. Though, he nearly got himself killed for nearly creating a terrible mistake, (which actually did kill him, but Serah and Noel saved him by changing the timeline) a proto fal'Cie. That part of his plan, he admitted to himself in Academia 4XX AF, was completely stupid, and he wished he never thought of it.

"I wanted you to be mine, Light. Ever since the first time I saw you." By this point, he was whispering to her crystalized (and armored) legs. What he would do at this moment just to hold her in his arms. "So _please_, please come back to me... I beg you."

Perhaps he was sounding like his fourteen year old self again, whiny. Though, at this point in his life, he didn't care. Everyone he ever cared for was gone, he had no one left to turn to. There _was_ Snow, but he had no idea what had happened to the poor man, and he never got to ask Serah either. And as for Noel, he wasn't offering much information, nor was he being that friendly.

So he was practically alone in this world, in Valhalla where time didn't exist. Where he'd never be able to be with Lightning again, or any of his other friends. There was no hope anymore, nothing to believe in that would strive him to live further.

Raising his head, he took a long look at the eternal guardian that once fought strong to protect Etro; the same Goddess that stripped Lightning of any happiness. The Goddess had stripped him of his happiness as well, taking away the dearly beloved of his life. He was now left to live the sorrow and pain that came with Valhalla; of Serah's death of Lightning's doing. Would he be the one that would carry the burden of Lightning and Serah's memories?

For Lightning, he'd do _anything_.

"I'll wait for you forever, Light, If I have to." A sad yet cheeky smile was on the man's face. He wiped his eyes of any last tears and rose to his feet. As his gaze continued to overlook the goddess' protector, he couldn't help but admit of how it looked nice on her and complimented her. But, he had grown used to seeing her wear her Guardian Corps uniform, and preferred it much more than this suit of armor. "I want to be the one that greats you when you awake from this eternal sleep."

He reached for her face, fingertips grazing what felt like stone face. If one day, when Valhalla would magically disappear and Lightning would wake, he would be right by her side. But for now, time would play a game with him. Where it would never change, and Lightning would never wake from her slumber.

And he was somewhere stuck in the middle.


End file.
